A magnitude 7.9 earthquake in mountainous Sichuan killed around 87,000 people and left millions homeless, with the collapse of poorly built schools provoking national outcry. A massive state-led reconstruction paired stricken counties with wealthier coastal provinces, which financed and rebuilt towns, housing and infrastructure to improved seismic codes. Some settlements were relocated wholesale to safer ground. The response showcased China's capacity for rapid, centrally coordinated rebuilding.
It drove a tightening of seismic building standards and demonstrated the partner-province model of fast, planned post-disaster reconstruction.
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